One-in-10 Deaths of Working Age People Is Caused by Alcohol

One in ten deaths among working-age adults in the U.S. is caused by drinking too much, according to the report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Binge drinking (more than four drinks at a time for men or more than three for women) is responsible for the majority of alcohol-related deaths. Some 71% of deaths related to excessive drinking involved men, and 5% involved those under the age of 21.

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The report, which was conducted by alcohol and public health experts and was based on data between 2006 and 2010, estimates that two out of three alcohol-attributable deaths involved working-age adults. The most common cause of death related to alcohol was motor-vehicle crashes, while 44% of deaths were due to chronic conditions, such as liver disease.

While the national average rate of deaths resulting from too much drinking is around 9.8% for people of working age, some states’ alcohol-related deaths are significantly higher. New Mexico topped the ranking with 16.4 % of total deaths being alcohol attributable. Alaska followed with 15.9%. Maryland had the lowest rate among working-age people with only 7.5 %. New Jersey and New York were also significantly lower than the average with rates of 7.8 % and 7.9%, respectively. The difference in rate might be rooted in “the differences in the prevalence of excessive drinking particularly binge drinking, which is affected by state and local laws governing the price, availability, and marketing of alcoholic beverages.”

Access to medical care and vehicle miles traveled are also factors to be taken into account when measuring the risk of deaths attributed to alcohol in each state.

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